'''Bofur''' most likely lived in the [[Blue Mountains]] with [[Thorin]] after the loss of [[Thráin II]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref> Bofur was one of the thirteen [[Dwarves]] of [[Thorin and Company|Thorin's company]] who journeyed to [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] to challenge the [[Dragons|dragon]] [[Smaug]]. After the death of Smaug, Bofur lived at the Lonely Mountain.<ref name="Meetings">{{FR|II1}}</ref>

'''Bofur''' most likely lived in the [[Blue Mountains]] with [[Thorin]] after the loss of [[Thráin II]].<ref name="Durin">{{App|Durin}}</ref> Bofur was one of the thirteen [[Dwarves]] of [[Thorin and Company|Thorin's company]] who journeyed to [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] to challenge the [[Dragons|dragon]] [[Smaug]]. After the death of Smaug, Bofur lived at the Lonely Mountain.<ref name="Meetings">{{FR|II1}}</ref>

==History==

==History==

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Bofur's parentage is unknown; the only familial connections mentioned are that [[Bombur]] is his brother and [[Bifur]] is his cousin.<ref name="Flies">{{H|Flies}}</ref> He was not of Durin's line although he was descended from Dwarves of [[Moria]].<ref name="Durin"/> His birth year is also unknown. However, from [[Bilbo Baggins]]' account of the quest to Erebor it is known that the brothers [[Fíli]] and [[Kíli]] were the youngest of the thirteen "by some fifty years"<ref name="Hill">{{H|Hill}}</ref> and that after Thorin had been captured, [[Balin]] was "the eldest left".<ref>{{H|Barrels}}</ref> Since Fíli was born in {{TA|2859}} and Balin was born in {{TA|2763|n}},<ref name="Durin"/> this would put Bofur's birth between {{TA|2809|n}} and {{TA|2763|n}}, and he would have been between 132 and 178 years old during the quest to Erebor.

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Bofur's parentage is unknown; the only familial connections mentioned are that [[Bombur]] is his brother and [[Bifur]] is his cousin.<ref name="Flies">{{H|Flies}}</ref> He was not of Durin's line although he was descended from Dwarves of [[Moria]].<ref name="Durin"/> His birth year is also unknown. However, from [[Bilbo Baggins]]' account of the quest to Erebor it is known that the brothers [[Fíli]] and [[Kíli]] were the youngest of the thirteen "by some fifty years"<ref name="Hill">{{H|Hill}}</ref> and that after Thorin had been captured, [[Balin]] was "the eldest left".<ref>{{H|Barrels}}</ref> Since Fíli was born in {{TA|2859}} and Balin was born in {{TA|2763|n}},<ref name="Durin"/> this would put Bofur's birth between 2809 and {{TA|2763|n}}, and he would have been between 132 and 178 years old during the quest to Erebor.

:Bofur will be played by [[James Nesbitt]].<ref name="PJCasting">{{webcite|author=[[Peter Jackson]]|articleurl=http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150168211921558|articlename=Production begins in New Zealand on The Hobbit|dated=20-March-2011|website=[http://www.facebook.com/ Facebook]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref>

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:Bofur will be played by [[James Nesbitt]].<ref name="PJCasting">{{webcite|author=[[Peter Jackson]]|articleurl=http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150168211921558|articlename=Production begins in New Zealand on The Hobbit|dated=20-March-2011|website=[http://www.facebook.com/ Facebook]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref> A description of Bofur in ''The Hobbit'' films was released by the studio:

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:{{Blockquote|Endearing and likeable, Bofur has a disastrous tendency to state the obvious and blurt out things without thinking. With a love of music and a fine singing voice, Bofur delights in good food and good company and is unfailingly optimistic. Though not especially brave, he will do his best to help those in need, especially those he counts as friends. Along with his brother Bombur and his cousin Bifur, Bofur joined the Quest for the Lonely Mountain partly to seek his fortune – and partly because he was told the beer was free.|[[Warner Bros.]]<ref name="HobbitApp">{{webcite|author=[[Warner Bros.]]|articleurl=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hobbit-movies/id545808528|articlename=Hobbit Movies|dated=7-September-2012|website=[http://itunes.apple.com/ Apple iPhone/iPad App]|accessed=19-September-2012}}</ref>}}

Contents

History

Bofur's parentage is unknown; the only familial connections mentioned are that Bombur is his brother and Bifur is his cousin.[3] He was not of Durin's line although he was descended from Dwarves of Moria.[1] His birth year is also unknown. However, from Bilbo Baggins' account of the quest to Erebor it is known that the brothers Fíli and Kíli were the youngest of the thirteen "by some fifty years"[4] and that after Thorin had been captured, Balin was "the eldest left".[5] Since Fíli was born in T.A.2859 and Balin was born in 2763,[1] this would put Bofur's birth between 2809 and 2763, and he would have been between 132 and 178 years old during the quest to Erebor.

The Quest of Erebor

In T.A.2941, Bofur was one of the four Dwarves in the fifth group to arrive at Bag End, wearing a yellow hood. He asked for mince pies and cheese. During the evening when Thorin called for music, Bofur (along with Bifur) played a clarinet.[6]

In the wolves' glade Bofur shared a pine tree with Bifur, Bombur, and Thorin.[7]

When Gandalf was telling the story of the company's adventures to Beorn, Bofur, Bifur, and Bombur were the last of the Dwarves to show up.[8]

After the barrel ride down the River Running both Bofur and Bifur came out fairly dry and not very knocked about, but they lay down and refused to do anything.[9]

Later life

Etymology

Other versions of the legendarium

In one of the earliest manuscript fragments of The Hobbit, Bofur and Bifur went into the hall and came back with their walking sticks, which they turned into clarinets.[12] In the published text the two Dwarves came back from the hall with clarinets that they had left with their walking sticks.[6]John Rateliff (author of The History of The Hobbit) said that in the earliest phase Tolkien had added fairy tale touches of Dwarven magic to emphasize the uncanny, other-worldly nature of the Dwarves as opposed to Bilbo.[13]

Originally, when Bombur needed propping up in Mirkwood after being cut from the spiders' webbing, it was his cousins Bofur and Bifur who provided support.[14] In the published story this was changed to Bombur's cousin Bifur and brother Bofur.[3] Also, in the earlier version, when Smaug first came out and the Dwarves in the valley had to be hauled up to the Back Door, Bifur cried out to save Bombur and Bofur, who were both his brothers.[15] In the published text Bifur cried out for his two cousins.[16]

In Tolkien's unfinished 1960 rewrite of The Hobbit, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur were Thorin's attendants.[17]John D. Rateliff assumes this made them either courtiers or honor-guard.[18]

Notes

In the earliest partial manuscript of The Hobbit more of the dialog later assigned to a few of the Dwarves is more evenly distributed. In the opinion of John Rateliff this streamlining strengthened the story through simplification, but at the cost of relegating some of the Dwarves to obscurity since they barely speak at all. Bofur is one of these "silenced" members of the company.[19]

Bofur will be played by James Nesbitt.[21] A description of Bofur in The Hobbit films was released by the studio:

Endearing and likeable, Bofur has a disastrous tendency to state the obvious and blurt out things without thinking. With a love of music and a fine singing voice, Bofur delights in good food and good company and is unfailingly optimistic. Though not especially brave, he will do his best to help those in need, especially those he counts as friends. Along with his brother Bombur and his cousin Bifur, Bofur joined the Quest for the Lonely Mountain partly to seek his fortune – and partly because he was told the beer was free.—Warner Bros.[22]